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12 Coastal Decorating Ideas

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12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

Hi! I’m Colleen with Just Paint It and I’m so happy to be here at Craft Gossip today! With summer here, I wanted to share some coastal decorating ideas. I’ve never been fortunate to live by the beach, even though I’m a California girl. I grew up on the beaches of Lake Tahoe. Not exactly “coastal”. That doesn’t mean I don’t love decorating with coastal touches though.

While we can’t all enjoy the luxury of a cottage on the beach, we can bring some of those tranquil coastal vibes into our homes. Here are a few ways that may inspire you.

White Plank Walls
There’s something about white painted, weathered looking wood that just says beach all over it. Maybe it’s the calming color, the vision of an old wooden rowboat that’s been tattered by the waves, or the wind blown deck of a beautiful beach house. Maybe it’s all of these things…

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Coastal Living

12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Home Bunch

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Tumblr

Touches of Light Blue or Aqua
When you think of the beach, calming shades of blue come immediately to mind. Bringing that sense of calm into your home is easy by adding the right touches.

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Better Homes & Gardens

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Martha Stewart

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: An Everyday Occasion

Add Pops of Red for a Patriotic Feel
Red has always been a color associated with the sea. Think of pirates! Gorgeous pops of red add flavor and personality to an otherwise soft décor.

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

Source: Completely Coastal

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Terry’s Village

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Hometalk

Include Organic Touches of Sisal, Reed & More
By adding natural colors of the seaside landscape, it’s easy to give your home that coastal look. Look for browns and tans that mimic the natural elements found at the seaside.

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Ciao! Newport Beach

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Sand & Sisal

 12 Coastal Decorating Ideas @craftgossip

source: Casa Tres Chic

 Are you ready to head to the beach? I am! I’ll be back next week with some beautiful, and easy, DIY coastal décor projects you can make yourself!

Colleen Jorgensen is a regular guest poster at Craft Gossip and the talented painter behind the blog Just Paint It where she offers free tutorials as well as live painting classes via Google Hangouts! Be sure to visit Colleen today.

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DIY Giant Eyeball Lanterns – Creepy Halloween Decoration

When it comes to Halloween, bigger is always better—and these giant eyeball lanterns prove it! With nothing more than plain white paper lanterns, a little paint, and some imagination, you can create huge, spooky eyes that look like they’ve popped right out of a monster movie.

They’re perfect for hanging from ceilings, displaying on porches, or grouping together in a corner for an eerie effect. Best of all, paper lanterns are super inexpensive (you can grab them on eBay, Amazon, or even your local dollar store), which makes this a great budget-friendly craft for big impact Halloween décor.

Supplies You’ll Need

  • Large round white paper lanterns (various sizes look best) 
  • Acrylic paints or craft paints in black, brown, green, red, orange, or blue (for irises) 
  • Wide paintbrush for background color 
  • Small paintbrush for details 
  • Black construction paper or cardstock (optional for spiky “lashes” or accents) 
  • Hot glue gun or strong craft glue 
  • String or fishing line (if you want to hang them) 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Lanterns

  1. Assemble your white paper lanterns according to the package directions. 
  2. Make sure they’re fully open and the wire insert is in place so the surface is taut for painting. 

Step 2: Paint the Iris

  1. Using a wide brush, paint a large circle in the center of the lantern to create the iris. 
  2. Choose spooky colors—green, red, orange, or blue work wonderfully. 
  3. Don’t worry about making it perfectly smooth; streaks and uneven textures add to the eerie, organic look. 

Step 3: Add the Pupil

  1. Once the iris paint is dry, use black paint to fill in the pupil at the very center. 
  2. Make it large enough to stand out against the iris. 

Step 4: Detail the Eye

  • Use a smaller brush to add darker or lighter streaks in the iris for a more realistic effect. 
  • You can even add thin vein lines in red around the iris to give it that bloodshot look. 

Step 5: Optional Spiky Lashes

  1. Cut long triangles from black construction paper or cardstock. 
  2. Glue them around one side of the lantern so they stick out like sharp monster eyelashes. 
  3. This makes the eyeballs look even more monstrous and stylized. 

Step 6: Display Your Giant Eyeballs

  • Hanging: Use string or fishing line to suspend them from ceilings, trees, or porch rafters so they look like floating eyeballs. 
  • Stacked: Place them in corners, along stairs, or even grouped on your lawn for a spooky display. 
  • Tabletop: Use them as oversized Halloween party props. 

Tips & Variations

  • Glowing Eyes: Insert battery-powered LED lights into the lanterns so they glow from the inside. 
  • Rainbow Eyes: Mix up the colors and make a whole rainbow of creepy eyes. 
  • Monster Cluster: Group multiple eyeballs together in different sizes for a scarier effect. 

This DIY Giant Eyeball Lantern craft is quick, cheap, and gives you maximum Halloween spook factor with minimal effort. Whether you make one or a whole creepy collection, your haunted house setup will definitely be eye-catching!